Shipwreck off a Rocky Coast

Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

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This evocative painting of ships in grave danger is dominated by a vast, cloudy sky. In the background heavy, dark clouds gather momentum as they swirl down towards the sea. This mass of cloud is emphasized by the accompanying patches of golden light which illuminate the sky in the upper corners of the composition. In this theatrical and dramatic painting, three Dutch ships are portrayed in three stages of peril. In the water, on the right, two large ships sail perilously close to the rugged coast and a third, which is sinking, has been dashed on the rocks amidst the raging foam. The wind whips the sea into broad waves which erupt into chalky white spume against the dun-coloured coast. The modest size of the ships, particularly in comparison with the colossal scale of the natural elements, is especially striking.

National Maritime Museum

London

Title

Shipwreck off a Rocky Coast

Date

c.1660

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 80 x W 104.5 cm

Accession number

BHC0921

Work type

Painting

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National Maritime Museum

Romney Road, Greenwich, London, Greater London SE10 9NF England

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